Innovation Centre Celebrates ‘Graduation’

Scotland’s leading innovation centre is celebrating its largest ever ‘graduation’ of client companies.

Nine young technology companies have recently migrated from the specialist support environment provided by the award winning Hillington Park Innovation Centre.

Applying the unique brand of advice and support services developed by Innovation Centres Scotland (ICS), who run the Innovation Centre, to these companies over a number of years, helped them:

• Create 81 jobs

• Achieve an aggregate turn over of £2.3M

The recent exodus of Essential Viewing, Infinis, Kelvin Connect, Virtual Interconnect, RIM, Safehinge, Supremis, Sysnet and X402 means the incubation hub is succeeding in doing what it was established to achieve – assisting young companies to a stage in their development where they are self sufficient, commercially viable and ready to move out into the wider business world.

Ross Clark, Director of Hillington Park Innovation Centre, said: ”Not many businesses would take pride in seeing their clients move on, but that is why we exist. We have helped nurture these companies to a point in their development where they can stand alone in the highly competitive business place of the 21st century. That is a great result, one we are proud of and one that endorses the business incubation ethos.”

The success of the Innovation Centre is based on the experience of the team of business advisors who use their expertise to deliver the ICS portfolio of Innovation Advisory Services, designed specifically to meet the needs of young, innovative, high-growth potential companies by addressing some of the most common barriers they need to overcome.

Tenant companies also have access to modern office suites and meeting facilities, IT support, high speed broadband and a dynamic, entrepreneurial and collegiate environment of small companies, unrivalled anywhere else in the West Coast of Scotland.

Graduation from the Innovation Centre, maintains the momentum of the virtuous cycle that frees up space in a highly supportive business development environment for the next generation of innovative companies.

The recent departure of client companies and reorganisation in the aftermath of a traumatic flood that struck the premises on 11 May has allowed ICS to intensify its efforts to select a new group of young innovative technology companies that will benefit from its high level support services.

The Innovation Centre is currently at 60% of its occupancy capacity. But Ross Clark views that as an exciting opportunity.

He said: “Before we were hit by the flood we were almost at full capacity and having to turn away companies with innovative ideas and high growth potential. Churn is essential if we are to realise our goal of being in a position to have a pipeline of space for new companies and to allow existing tenants expand.”

“Our focus is on supporting companies with innovative and novel products and services within the renewable energy, digital media, wellness & health and ICT sectors. The recent graduations present us with a welcome opportunity to use our extensive contacts to identify young dynamic entrepreneurs with the drive, ambition and commitment to turn their ideas into commercially successful enterprises with our support.”

He revealed that two new companies, biotech business Pharmacells Ltd and renewable energy company Statkraft, are due to move into the Centre within the next few weeks.

Two of the graduate companies, Infinis and X402, have remained on the Hillington Business Park, moving into new premises in Merlin House.